Nottingham Forest goalkeeper John Victor is trying to force his way back into Brazil’s World Cup plans, and the player has now opened up on the recovery process that helped him return far earlier than expected.
The 29-year-old is part of Carlo Ancelotti’s preliminary list for the 2026 World Cup. Competition for places remains open behind Alisson Becker, who is widely viewed as Brazil’s only guaranteed goalkeeper selection at this stage.
That has kept the door open for John Victor, even after a difficult few months.
The Nottingham Forest player suffered cartilage damage in his left knee back in January and underwent surgery shortly afterwards. At one stage, there were fears he could miss six months, which would almost certainly have ended any realistic World Cup hopes.
Instead, he managed to recover in roughly four months.
John Victor pushed recovery process hard
Speaking to Brazilian outlet UOL, John Victor explained how intense his rehabilitation became once the recovery timeline changed after surgery.
“110% recovered, thank God. Everyone said it would be six months, but I worked day and night, three sessions a day, arriving early at the club, and managed to come back sooner.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I managed it with the help of my family. I also went to Brazil, worked there too, and saw people who helped me. I’m happy to be back, especially at this stage of the season.”
John Victor admitted the initial diagnosis changed significantly after the operation itself.
“When I had the operation, the doctor said it would be one month to return. But after surgery, he said it would be six months. So I started thinking week by week. If it couldn’t be six months, maybe four, maybe three, whenever I felt ready to return.”
The Nottingham Forest goalkeeper then described the workload behind that recovery.
“At the club, I was doing two sessions a day. I arrived early in the morning and stayed until lunch. Then I stayed until 5pm. When I got home, I still did a bit more recovery work. Not gym work – recovery work.”
Although he is now fully fit again, John Victor has not yet officially returned to the pitch since recovering. And if his return at Forest is not guaranteed, he is starting to see other options emerging in Brazil.
Fast start at Nottingham Forest interrupted by injury
John Victor also reflected on how quickly his first months in England unfolded before the injury disrupted things.
“Everything happened very quickly here. I arrived, went to the Brazil national team, made my Premier League debut, played in the Europa League, then got injured.”
The goalkeeper admitted the injury disappointed him, but he also tried to keep perspective about how demanding football can be physically.
“I was sad because I got injured, but I understand it’s part of football. We’re exposed to injuries, to good moments, bad moments, winning titles or losing them.”
Importantly, John Victor does not believe the time out injured has damaged his standing with Ancelotti ahead of the World Cup.
He was called-up late as a substitute for Hugo Souza in November’s international break. But with uncertainty around Brazilian goalkeepers right before the final list, he’s not wrong to have his hopes up.
